'You can't be that stupid' - Uli Hoeness opens up on Bayern Munich's desire to lure Florian Wirtz away from Bayer Leverkusen

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness has admitted his admiration for Florian Wirtz and expressed his desire to see the talented Bayer Leverkusen midfielder at the club. However, he remained candid when addressing recurring accusations that Bayern frequently sign top players from their rivals.

"I object to such sweeping judgements. We always have to go by what makes us stronger," Hoeness told kicker (h/t SPOX). "The best players tend to play for our biggest competitors, that's obvious. I would love to get Florian Wirtz if the opportunity arose. But that's the football fan Uli Hoeness talking, not the Bayern man.

"Tottenham, where Harry played, is not our competitor, for example.

"Generally speaking, you can't be that stupid to want to weaken someone if you don't also think the player will strengthen yourself. It is a logical side effect that it weakens a competitor."

Bayern have long been infamous for acquiring top talent from their Bundesliga rivals. During the 2010s, they brought in stars like Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, and Mats Hummels from Borussia Dortmund. More recently, they have targeted RB Leipzig by signing players such as Dayot Upamecano and Konrad Laimer, while also adding Yann Sommer (as a stop-gap) from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2023.

Currently, Wirtz is not just one of the best players in Bundesliga, but in the world. He has been frequently linked to a move from Leverkusen to Munich, even though he is in advanced talks to sign a contract extension with the reigning league winners.

The German record champions will aim to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table when they visit VfB Stuttgart on Friday, February 28. Head coach Vincent Kompany will be keen to get his troops back to their best level for the final stretch of the season, amid reports that the Bayern higher-ups are considering taking severe actions should the team fail to meet the sporting objectives by the end of the campaign.